Trayvon Martin dedication sparks attack

Hayward, California: A woman has been arrested after allegedly jumping on stage at a US music festival and attacking a legendary musician after he dedicated a song to Trayvon Martin.

The woman, who police identified as 43-year-old Dinalynn Andrews Potter of Barstow, apparently yelled, "It's all your fault" before shoving 73-year-old Lester Chambers, his family says.

"She must have been an acrobat. She did it in one leap. He didn't see her coming," Lola Chambers said.

"She had a crazed look in her eye," said Kurt Kangas, a friend of Mr Chambers who ran to his aid on Saturday.

Lester Chambers was attacked for dedicating a song to 17-year Trayvon Martin. Photo: Facebook

"I saw the devil there."

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Mr Chambers was performing at the Hayward Russell City Blues Festival downtown when around 5.15pm local time he dedicated Curtis Mayfield's hit People Get Ready to Martin, the 17-year-old shot and killed by George Zimmerman.

A Florida jury acquitted Zimmerman on all charges on Saturday.

Mr Chambers told the audience if Mayfield were around today, he'd change the lyrics "there's a train a comin"' to "there's a change a comin,"' his wife Lola Chambers said on Sunday.

"She must have been an acrobat. She did it in one leap. He didn't see her coming," Lola Chambers said.

Eyewitnesses and Hayward police said people on stage subdued Andrews Potter after she allegedly shoved Chambers.

Though the police investigation into a motive continues, family members believe the attack was racially motivated and was a result of Chambers' mention of Martin.

The family is pressing police to file hate crime charges. Andrews Potter is white, they said. Chambers is black.

Hayward police took Andrews Potter to the police station, where she was arrested on suspicion of battery.

She was cited and released, and could face additional charges in the coming days, according to Hayward police Lieutenant Ruben Pola.

Mr Chambers, a Petaluma, California, resident, was taken to the hospital but has since been released, and is using a cane to walk.

A photo his son posted on Facebook shows a large welt on his backside.

His son said Mr Chambers had a "bruised rib muscle and nerve damage and he is sore all over."

Mr Chambers was a member of the 1960s soul group Chambers Brothers and has had a well-publicised fight with record executives over decades of royalty payments he said he has never received.

The Chambers Brothers will be part of the inaugural class inducted into the R&B Hall of Fame later this year, Lola Chambers says.